"The trend is like a mix of religion and politics," Cardinal Charles Bo said, raising fresh questions about the country's future at a crucial point on Myanmar's journey from military dictatorship to a functioning democracy.

Pope Francis said that women "must be protected and helped in this dual task: the right to work and the right to motherhood."

The Chinese government imposed its one-child policy in 1979 to curb the growth of the population that, at that time, was reaching 972 million people. The policy most strictly applied to Han Chinese, but not to ethnic minorities around China.

"Is Christian faith incompatible with vast wealth?"

Planned Parenthood in Grand Chute suspended abortions in mid-October, citing a lack of medical staff. The building, and Planned Parenthood's office in Appleton, remains open. Various news reports and sources say that the suspension is because officials there lack an abortion doctor for the site.

The arson, at St. Joseph specifically and at the churches in general, left Father Wunderlich with "question marks. I don't know what else to say. The first question that comes to my mind is, 'Why would anybody want to do it.' I'm sure that's on the mind of police officers and arson specialists. What would be the motivation for something like this?"

Australian Cardinal George Pell said the final report of the Synod of Bishops on the family did not create an opening for the divorced and civilly remarried to receive Communion. Other synod members took a different view and acknowledged that the paragraph in question was being read differently.

Among practicing Catholics, 90 percent now say they view Pope Francis favorably, up from 83 percent in August, one month before his visit. Among all Americans, the pope's numbers jumped from 58 percent to 74 percent.

 Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami cut to the chase about halfway through his Oct. 8 keynote at a Respect Life celebration sponsored by the Diocese of Evansville."The story of the Holy Family is instructive," said Archbishop Wenski, who devoted his remarks to migration and immigrat

While "a few problems" are grabbing media headlines, members of the Synod of Bishops on the family are highlighting the good things happening in the Catholic Church and identifying programs they think should be done better, said Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles.